Membership Websites Infographic

8 Benefits of Membership Websites Infographic

Not only is the popularity of WordPress as a content management system growing, but the use of the WordPress platform to support membership sites is growing as well. Take a look at the top reasons many individuals and brands are adding a membership site or members only area to their website.

Maximum Per-Customer Value

The top reason more websites are adding a member’s only area or becoming a full-fledged membership website is because it maximizes per customer value. Depending on the study, it can take potential customers 6 to 10 times viewing and advertisement before making a purchasing decision. It becomes even more difficult to get people to view advertisements via email as more people set up email addresses solely for brain communication. More than one third of people open a separate account solely for brain communication and this number jumps to 58% for millennials. Creating a member’s only area provides brands with a centralized location to regularly communicate with customers.
Source: http://www.yeslifecyclemarketing.com/resources/whitepaper/marketers-guide-reaching-each-consumer-generationMembership Site Plugins Make Setup Easy

The WordPress platform adds additional features using plug-ins. Third-party plug-ins are essentially a separate piece of code which leverages the built-in functionality of WordPress to expand a website’s capabilities. WordPress membership site plug-ins make adding a member’s only area or building a full-fledged membership website easy. Installing a plug-in takes just a few clicks and all the customization options can be easily accessed through the WordPress dashboard.
Source: https://www.magicmembers.com/create-members-wordpress-site/

Consistent, Reliable Income

WordPress membership sites can generate consistent, reliable income using a variety of formats. Some of the most popular formats include the newspaper/magazine, E-newsletter, E-course, or “country club”. The newspaper/magazine and e-newsletter models allow customers to subscribe and pay a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual subscription fee. With these membership models content is typically produced at a rapid pace to ensure it is delivered in a timely manner.

The e-course model is like a e-newsletter but the scope of the content is greatly reduced and often has a specific end date like a traditional school course. Some membership sites expand this model to provide a variety of courses and allow members to purchase them separately or in bulk.
The “country club” model relies on a membership site which emphasizes member interaction and not just the content. This allows members to create premium content themselves through discussions, their own blog posts, or in a forum rather than the owner of the membership site constantly churning out content.
Source: http://timconley.co/FA/9-membership-website-continuity-income-business-models/

A Stable Test Market for New Products and Campaigns

Having a group of people who have already purchased from a brand readily available to test new products and marketing campaigns is invaluable because it provides access to a specific target market 24-7. Membership websites can be made up a variety of components including training, direct engagement, and a library of content. Any time a website owner is preparing to launch a new product, they can use their established membership site to find people to test out, review, and provide valuable feedback to new products. Later, the products can also be used to recruit new members through a trip-wire or splinter offer marketing funnel.
Source: http://www.digitalmarketer.com/build-a-profitable-membership-website/

Minimize Content Theft

Protecting content from plagiarism can be a difficult and expensive process. Most online plagiarism comes from websites scraping. This is when bots or individuals copy immense amounts of data and images to be republished on their own websites with little or no alteration. Taking action against copyright infringement typically follows three steps: contacting the website owner directly, contacting the website host, and, if necessary, legal recourse. This process not only requires a significant amount of time but also potentially money as well. By creating a secure, members only area of a website it is more difficult for bots and individuals to steal content.

Website maintenance can be an expensive and daunting task, especially for people setting up a website for the first time. Membership site plug-ins in combination with other plug-ins greatly simplifies the website maintenance process. Regular maintenance is essential for a stable, healthy website and includes tasks such as creating backups, WordPress updates, eliminating spam, centralizing management, and health/security monitoring. Fortunately, all of this can be taken care of with and easy to implement combination of a membership site plug-in and additional maintenance plug-ins. They handle most of these tasks automatically which provides a nearly hands-free, automated solution.
Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/definitive-guide-to-wordpress-maintenance/

An Inexpensive, Reliable Source of Target Market Data

Membership websites won’t always look the same. Over time they will change and adapt to the member’s needs. The same information used to improve membership websites can be applied to nonmembers who are part of the same target market. This provides key insights into what form of engagement is best and allows members to provide information into exactly what they want from a membership site or other product.
Source: http://www.copyblogger.com/membership-site-basics/

Membership Site Can Compliment and Grow a Primary Business

A membership website or members only area of a website can be an excellent complement to a primary business. An overlooked benefit is providing membership priority. Members are likely the most loyal customers of a brand and providing them with priority support further enhances brand loyalty and minimizes attrition. A membership site also provides member specific reports and account management which may provide additional insight into how to attract new customers for your primary business. The membership website could also be used as a bonus or backend product to complement a primary service.
Source: http://www.sydcon.com/blog/7-benefits-to-limited-access-or-members-only-section-of-your-website/